Why is losing weight and getting fit SO damn hard?

I get asked this question all the time. I hear you; everyone is trying, but few are succeeding. Unfortunately, that is the sad, but true, reality.

The reason is simple. There are a ton of people out there searching for that “magic pill” to lose weight, get fit and live a vibrant, healthy, life.

The problem is; it doesn’t exist. Not in any form.

It’s not going to come all packaged up in the uber healthy food you’re having delivered or even a fantastic juice cleanse (clue: you’re not learning anything). It’s not going to come from hiring an Innovative Fitness Trainer, and it’s certainly NOT going to come from hiring me as your Nutritionist.

Yes, I really just said that….

So the answer to the question, “Why is losing weight and getting fit so hard?

Simple: You can NOT “Outsource” your health!

In this high tech, low touch world of ours, it’s only natural that we are looking for an easy way out. The world as we now know it, was built by making things faster and easier so we can get more done. There is nothing wrong with that, in fact, it is key for many businesses and many areas of your personal life. But there is nothing about your health that you can outsource!

Making a commitment to work out with a trainer is amazing, and it can absolutely help you get your butt to the gym. But you have to DO THE WORK. You can’t just show up and go through the motions. That will not get you to your goal. You also can’t show up, kick butt and then reward yourself with a grill cheese sandwich and fries and expect the results of your hard work to show up when you look in the mirror. This may seem obvious, but it happens all the time. Even worse, you may blame your lack of progress on your trainer. You may very well turn to your trainer and say “This isn’t working, I’m not reaching my goal.” Maybe you tell yourself that exercise doesn’t work for you (I shit you not, I’ve heard that!). Or you may think you need a new trainer. But you couldn’t be more wrong. What you need is to take responsibility and realize that paying someone to guide and educate you isn’t going to get you to your goal in and of itself.

ONLY YOU can do the hard work that will make your goals a reality!

The food part is even trickier. You have to make decisions around food 3-5x a day, every-single-day! Not easy, believe me, I know. Working with a professional like myself can help you address underlying issues such as hormonal imbalance or food intolerances that may be wreaking havoc on your brain, skin, mood and digestive system! I can teach you about your body, how food affects your brain and your gut and how that impacts risk factors for disease. I can help connect the dots to figure out why you can’t sleep, why you’re experiencing chronic headaches, PMS or just those pesky 3pm crashes followed by sugar cravings. Any good weight loss program has to address all of the above issues, because you can’t lose weight when you feel like crap! I can also give you recipes and lay out a plan showing exactly what you need to eat and when.

But what I CAN’T do is MAKE YOU DO IT! You have to DO THE WORK.

Hiring a professional to help you doesn’t make it any less work; it just makes the work you’re doing targeted and extremely effective. You still have to grocery shop, prep your food and record what’s working and what’s not in a food journal. Not because I say you have to, but because you CAN’T outsource your health. You’re paying for knowledge and support. But at the end of the day, it’s your job to listen, apply the knowledge and figure out what works for you.

Learning what comes easy to you, getting real about what your weaknesses are and then coming up with a plan to overcome all those obstacles, is what will finally get you to your goal.

Essentially, working with a professional, is like getting the “Coles Notes” to the test. You are reducing the risk of error and increasing your ability to get an A instead of blindly applying the latest fad diet and then wondering why you’re no further ahead.

BUT you still have to study. You still have to learn and apply what you’ve learned.

At the end of the day, to be successful at losing weight and getting fit, you have to apply the same principles that have made you successful in all other areas in your life.

Show up consistently

Work hard consistently

Learn from your mistakes

Apply what you’ve learned

Never give up!

Originally published via www.innovativefitness.com

2 Responses to Why is losing weight and getting fit SO damn hard?

This is an EXCELLENT post and so true. I've never heard someone flat out say that she will not get her clients healthy and fit. It truly is the individual's responsibility. We can provide support and help be a catalyst for change, but ultimately it's them doing the work. Thanks for the great read!!